DES Statement on ProPublica and Arizona Daily Star Reporting

The recent reporting by ProPublica and the Arizona Daily Star regarding the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) does not portray a complete picture of DDD services as well as the actions the Division has taken to improve its services and ensure all members receive the highest quality care/assistance. 

Our team of dedicated and compassionate public servants are working each day to continuously improve DDD operations and accomplish our goals. In January 2020, DDD launched a five-year plan called Current 2 Future. The main objective of the initiative is to create a culture of accountability and continuous improvement within the Division that will enhance our operations and ensure delivery of high-quality services and support to members. You can learn more about the Current 2 Future initiative here. Additionally, the Department’s Fiscal Year 2021 Strategic Plan prioritizes DDD’s efforts to provide more timely service authorizations and improve the provider network to meet member needs.

DDD is the national leader in the delivery of services and supports to individuals with developmental disabilities, according to the 2019 UCP Case for Inclusion Report. In fact, a number of families have moved to Arizona to access the services provided by the Division. Examples can be found HERE and HERE. DDD currently serves over 44,000 members throughout the state, and as demonstrated by quarterly Member Satisfaction surveys, members and guardians are overwhelmingly satisfied with the services they receive from the Division, with 99% of respondents to the survey indicating overall satisfaction with the services they receive from DDD.